Skate-clamp



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE O. MERZ, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SKATE-SLAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,464, dated July 21, 1885.

Application filed March 3, 1885. (No model.) I i To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE O. MER'Z, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit,1in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skate Attachments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ot'reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention in skate attachments relates to that class of devices employed to attach the body of a skate to the boot or shoe of the operator, relating particularly to that class dispensing with straps and buckles; and my present invention consists in the combination of parts whereby the clamping-jaws are operated simultaneously in attaching and detaching the skate, as and for the purposes hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an inverted isometrical view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on dotted line of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an inverted rear view of the body proper of the skate, having the front broken away. Figs. 4c, 5, 6, and 7 are details, as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the skate, which is formed of metal in the usual way of forming skate-bodies, providing the front with ears N N and the rear end with the clamps h h.

B is a sliding under plate, provided at the rear end with upturned penetrating-points d d, to engage with the heel of the boot or shoe. The clasps h h of the plate A are turned over the plate B, securing said plates together at the rear end. The plate B extends forward to the center of plate A, being cut out at the center, forming two arms, Z Z. The free ends of said arms are bent over the plate A, forming the clampse 6, thus securing said plates together, allowing the plate B to slide freely below the plate A, for the purposes hereinafter set forth. 7

Between the arms Z Z of the plate B, I locate the sliding yoke m, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said yoke at the free ends is provided with the Wings'a a, formed integral with the yoke. Said wings are located over the arms Z Zof the plate 13 and below the body A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Through the front end of the yokem, I pass the bolt P, having the head '0 on the inside of said yoke, and the thumbwheel z, rigidly attached to said bolt and located on the outside of. the yoke m. At the front end said bolt is screw-threaded, passing through the yoke S, which encircles the nut H, the threads of which engage with the bolt P. The yokeS is fitted around the nut H, which prevents said nut from turning. pass around the nut H, being turned at the free ends to lie flat below the plate A, having the ends pivoted to the elbow-shaped levers C C. Said levers are pivoted at a: w to the plate A. The outer ends of said levers are pivoted to the sliding jaws D D. Said jaws are attached loosely to the plate A by means of the ears N N and loops K K, which are formed integral with the plate A.

On the under side of the plate B, I form the loop F, by means of which the lockingbale R (see Figs. 1 and 4) is pivotally attached to the plate B. Said bale has its free ends t zbent over from each other. Said ends pass through the holes 8 s of the locking-lever 0. (See Figs. 1 and 6.) The locking-lever, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, is made of wire, its body portion being U-shaped, having its sides, at about midway of its length, depressed. The arms are coiled around, forming the holes 8 s, then extending upward, having the ends bent, from each other at right angles to its length, forming the pivot-bearings g g, as shown in Fig. 6. When the lever O is in a locked position, as shown in Fig. 1, the bearings g g must be at a point out of line with The sides of the yoke S the attaching-points of the bale R to the clasp F on plate 13, and the point where the arms t t of said bale engages with the holes s s of the locking-lever O, for the purposes hereinafter specified.

4 Fig. 5 shows the form of the locking-lever as made from a strip or sheet of metal. In

the holes or a the arms t tof the bale engage, and by rivets through the holes a a the lever its free "form the slot or channel f. Passing up through said channel is a bolt, i, which also passes through the adjusting heel-clamp n. (See Fig. 7 Said clamp lies upon the plate A, and is provided with'the downward-projecting arm 0-, which slides within the channel f. The bolt 03 passes through the hole a of the heel'clamp and is secured by a nut to the plate A. The heel-clamp extends across the plate A and engages with the front of a boot or shoe heel.

To attach the skate, the plate A is placed in position with the lever 0 turned over to the dotted position of Fig. 1. It will be observed, as said lever is so adjusted, the bale R is forced back, thus extending the plate B, as shown by dotted lines of Fig. 1, and as said lever is moved backward the arms 9 g, passing through the yoke m, force said yoke forward,

a which also carries with it the bolt I. Said bolt,

being united with the yoke H, forces the elbow-levers O C to the dotted position of Fig. 1, thus extending simultaneously the jaws D D (Z (Z. When in an extended position the said jaws are not far enough extended to receive the boot or shoe ofv the operator, the plate B may be forced farther out to receive said boot or shoe by turning with the hand the thumb-wheel z of the bolt P in the direction to unscrew said bolt from the nut H, whereby the length of the bolt is increased backward. And it will be observed the lengthening of the said bolt will force the yoke m back, carrying with it the bale B and plate B, thus extending the jaws d d. Audit will also be observed that turning the bolt P in an opposite direction will shorten the distance between the yoke S and yoke m, thus drawing the clamping-jaws inward. WVhen said jaws have been properly adjusted to grasp the sole of the boot or shoe, the lever O is thrown forward to the position of Fig. 1, when the said jaws will be simultaneously drawn forward to the fixed position of Fig.

7 1, grasping the boot or shoe and securing the skate in position.

It will be observed when the lever O is in a locked position the arms t t of the bale B are above the horizontal line, extending from the point where the said lever is pivoted to the yoke m, and the point where the bale B is pivoted to the plate B. By this arrangement the lever O is forced against the yoke when locked and firmly held.

Having thus fully described my present invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the body-platepro vided with the ears and clamps formed integrally therewith, the sliding plate provided with ears 9 e, clamping-points d d, the yoke having wings a a, located between said body and sliding plate, as and for the purposes set the ears and loops formed integral with the.

body-plate, said levers pivoted to the yoke S, said yoke adjustably attached to the sliding yoke m by means of the bolt 1?, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the plates A B, the sliding yoke secured between said plates, substantially as shown, the adjusting-bolt pivoted within the yoke m, having the thumbwheel 2, said bolt engaging with the nut H of the yoke S, the lever O, pivoted to the yoke m, the bale B, pivoted to said lever and to the plate B, substantially as shown and described.

4.. In combination with the plate A, having the channel f, the clamp a, mounted thereon, with the arm a", fitting within said channel and adapted to be adjusted to or from the penetrating-points d d of the plate B.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE G. MEBZ.

Witnesses:

R. B. WHEELER, M. D. SEAMAN. 

